"Bro looks like a literal meatball" - Fans react to Islam Makhachev revealing potential return timeline 

Pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev is one of the most recognized superstars in the UFC, and as such, fight fans took notice when they got an update on a potential timeline for the Dagestani's return to the octagon.

After silencing his critics with a first-round KO over featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski last October, Makhachev is now eyeing a mid-2024 return to the cage.

In a recent interview with the MMA Squad, the lightweight kingpin said:

"June [or] July, I will have my next fight. I do just one training every day [currently], nothing hard, but I [am] still training every day because I'm the champion."

Check out Islam Makhachev's return announcement below:

The 32-year-old's return announcement has invited tremendous fanfare, with an overwhelming number of responses taking aim at the Russian's bulkier build out of fight camp.

Check out a few fan reactions below:

@DougTheSlug24 wrote:

"Bro looks like a literal meatball with a beard."

@abdussalaamMMA wrote:

"Islam been eating!."

@Anonymously1333 criticized the champion writing:

"Close to two years and still zero title defenses against a lightweight."

@ProfessionalMM4 had this to say:

"Bro looks 200lbs."

@4thdownand26 claimed:

"Cycle is real."

@_kake_jelly_ speculated:

"So he will want a quick turnaround for the winner of Charles [Oliveira] vs. Arman [Tsarukyan] at UFC 300."

@DanielRChargers wrote:

"Defend the belt, bro."

@mmafan1017 suggested:

"Be active."

@xRareCollector joked:

"I swear he’s special needs."

@RavneetKaurTech wrote:

"Eating too many boooorgerss."

Screenshot courtesy @ChampRDS on X

---

Chael Sonnen says UFC might lose Islam Makhachev

Chael Sonnen believes Islam Makhachev will retire soon if the UFC fails to properly incentivize him. According to the 46-year-old, the Dagestani will walk away from the sport as soon as 2025, if not for a move up to 170 pounds.

During a recent segment on his YouTube channel, the former MMA fighter argued that the organization might have succeded in roping in Khabib Nurmagomedov for a final rodeo if they had offered 'The Eagle' a new opponent rather than a rematch at lightweight.

Sonnen warned the world's premier MMA promotion not to make the same mistake with Nurmagomedov's protege, saying:

"If he keeps his [contractually remaining] three fights within 2024, you are not going to see him in 2025, that I do know, and one of the reasons that you are getting the resistance and reluctance is that you are giving him matches he doesn't want have. He doesn't want to have matches at 155 pounds... If you want to keep him and elongate his career, you are going to have to start looking at catch weight or 170 [pounds]."

Catch Chael Sonnen's comments on Islam Makhachev below (5:53):